


Five Ways Rabadash's Courtship of Susan Might Have Ended, and One Time It Never Began

by Transposable_Element



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: AUs, Calormen, Courtship, F/M, Mostly Fluff, Sea Battle, Trade relations, archery contest, five things, pros and cons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-24 00:05:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2560709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Transposable_Element/pseuds/Transposable_Element
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first ever AU. I wanted to try the "five things" thing.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Five Ways Rabadash's Courtship of Susan Might Have Ended, and One Time It Never Began

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever AU. I wanted to try the "five things" thing.

1

 

Rabadash didn't know whether to be appalled or amused when he realized that Susan of Narnia would be in the archery competition at the tournament. She was reputed to be an excellent archer, for a woman, but in this tournament most of the competitors were men and there was no separate contest for women. It made things a bit awkward for Rabadash. The queen might be resentful when he bested her, even though she must be expecting it. But he didn't wish to drop out, as he was himself a renowned archer and had planned on impressing her by winning. How could he do that if she wasn't watching from the stands? Well, she would certainly be knocked out before the final round, so she would be watching when he won.

He began to realize that he had underestimated her during the first round of shooting, but by the time he understood the magnitude of his error it was too late to withdraw from competition gracefully. He was so rattled during the second round that he shot poorly and barely advanced. The final was a nightmare.

Rabadash left Cair Paravel soon after the tournament ended. The Archer Queen was obviously unsuitable as a bride for a Prince of Calormen, or any man with a grain of self-respect. In his heart, he had known it from the beginning.

 

2

 

“You want me to give him a chance? Peter, you’re absolutely barmy! By the Lion’s Mane, the man’s an ass! I don’t care if it solves all of our trade problems for the next 20 years. We’ll have to send him packing as soon as possible. Politely, of course…”

 

3

 

Queen Susan was undoubtedly beautiful, but Rabadash never felt easy with her. There was something fey about her, something uncanny. She was fascinating, and she was unlike any other woman he had ever known, but that was just the trouble. From what he had seen of her he doubted she could ever make a proper Calormene lady, even if she wished to become one. The way she looked at him, so directly, so shrewdly, was unnerving.

In the end they parted. The courtship had fizzled, and he sailed for Tashbaan with a sense of tremendous relief. He would go home to Silfaan Tarkheena of the Silk Isles—a lady familiar, beautiful, and very dear to him. A lady who understood him, and with whom he would be happy.

 

4

 

A couple of hours after the Queen's party fled Tashbaan a fast frigate entered the harbor. When Rabadash somehow got wind of their escape, he commandeered it. The frigate caught up with the _Splendour Hyaline_ on the second day.

The battle was going well until the broadside. The Calormene frigate simply had them outgunned. Men were dying on the deck below, and from her perch in the rigging Susan could see the Calormenes getting ready to board. She had lost track of Edmund long ago, but she couldn't spare a thought for him now. She shot men off the gangplanks as they tried to board, but she was already running out of arrows. So she waited, scanning the faces below until she sighted Rabadash. She fitted her last arrow to the string, aiming for his throat. At this range, she could not miss.

 

5

 

_Pros:  _

_gorgeous_

_reported to be good in bed (but are reports trustworthy?)_

_good archer (not as good as I am)_

_good musician_

_reasonably intelligent, knows a lot ~~of poetry~~ about astronomy and things_

_hopelessly in love with me, will move heaven and earth, etc._

_rich_

_will be Tisroc one day, because his father won’t live forever_

_easily sweet-talked_

_I could do a lot of good here, improve conditions for peasants and slaves. Could be as popular here as Lucy is at home!_

_nice, warm climate_

_food and wine here are excellent_

_infant mortality very low here (at least for upper classes)_

_Cons:_

_hot temper_

_has stupid ideas about women_

_arrogant, likes to have his own way_

_jealous and possessive_

_due to stupid local custom, I can’t try out bedworthiness before committing!_

_has a lot of concubines (could be a pro if bedworthiness doesn't pan out) (NB: are there male concubines? Ask Lasaraleen.)_

_no dancing except at women's parties_

_would have to participate in a lot of dull ceremonies and rituals_

_no fauns, centaurs, dryads, or Talking Beasts here_

_wouldn’t get to see my family often_

 

Susan looked at the last item. Was it really a con? She thought for a moment, then added _but Peter’s ideas are even stupider_ after the second “con.” She thought for another moment and added an item to the list of "pros": _indoor plumbing_. That could be enough to tip the balance. For indoor plumbing, she might be willing to put up with a lot worse than Rabadash.

 

***

 

Rabadash came to the north fully intending to court Queen Susan. She was reputedly a great beauty and a great prize. But as luck would have it when he arrived at Cair Paravel his was not the only foreign delegation. A chieftain of Telmar had also come to court the queen, and with him he had brought his sister, Kamalkea. Rabadash was immediately smitten with this wild beauty. The lady returned his affection, and soon the only trouble was that, as Rabadash well knew, his father would not look favorably upon the match. The Narnian monarchs agreed to help them celebrate their nuptials at Cair Paravel so that they might present his father with a _fait accompli_. "If the Tisroc disowns you, or tries to make you divorce her, you are always welcome here," Queen Susan assured him.

After a truly stupendous wedding night (quite exceeding the couple's high expectations) Rabadash and Kamalkea departed to face his father. They bid Queen Susan a fond farewell, calling her "sister."

**Author's Note:**

> I’m pretty sure guns aren’t canon, but I wanted a broadside. I’m beginning to see the appeal of writing AUs.


End file.
